MultiChoice testing new 'dishless' streaming product
It's possible that MultiChoice Group could launch its standalone streaming product next year, according to TechCentral.
The company’s Connected Video CEO Niclas Ekdahl has told TechCentral that a streaming-only offering might be on the cards come March 2020.
The streaming service will only rely on an internet connection and will not require a user to have a satellite dish or decoder.
RELATED: 'DStv doesn’t repeat much. It feels so because Africans watch a lot of TV'
The new product will be different from the current DStv Now streaming service, which is a satellite direct-to-home (DTH) offering linked to one's satellite dish.
The DStv Now streaming service replicates what viewers watch on the decoders, explains TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod.
The "dishless" offering is a big shift for DStv as a content provider as it moves towards video-on-demand, according to McLeod.
It remains to be seen whether the streaming product will be cheaper than the satellite option. In theory, McLeod says it should be.
RELATED: Netflix and other streaming operators to crack down on password-sharing
The new product will be a completely standalone product. You won't need a dish on your roof or a decoder in your lounge.
Duncan McLeod, Editor - TechCentral
There is kind of a streaming service already but you have to be a satellite subscriber to get access to it.
Duncan McLeod, Editor - TechCentral
Listen to the developments explain on Afternoon Drive with John Maytham:
More from Business

Eskom saboteurs are the empty suits that are running SA - Sikonathi Mantshantsha
The Daily Maverick's Sikonathi Mantshantsha says government leadership is truly to blame for the current Eskom mess.
Read More
Donald Trump’s new SA ambassador Lana Marks talks trade, rugby and impeachment
Refilwe Moloto interviews Marks on her first visit to Cape Town since taking up her new role.
Read More
Reserve Bank Governer: Our task is not to bail out Eskom or any SOEs
Sarb Governor Lesetja Kganyago highlights responsibilities of Reserve Bank and why interest rates are a tool not policy objective.
Read More
How to know if your finances are on track after a lousy year
How do you measure if you are financially on track after a lousy year?
Read More
Aramco is now the world's largest listed company
This massive state oil producer is now the world's first $2 trillion company.
Read More
How this CEO is putting surplus power back into the Eskom grid
Is there an option for mass solar supply to South Africa in the near future? This entrepreneur thinks so.
Read More
Eskom: Some solutions right now
What are the immediate and existing solutions to Eskom's generation issues?
Read More
Why we can't place all our SOEs under business rescue
Should we use business rescue to save all our parastatals? Specialist attorney Gareth Cremen explains why that's not a good idea.
Read More
'I trust my members. It’s not in their capacity to sabotage Eskom'
"We don’t trust those engineers at Eskom. We don’t trust management and we don’t trust the board," says Joseph Montisetse (NUM).
Read More
Task team plans to alleviate Cape Town port congestion
A task team has been created to deal with issues at the Cape Town port, from a shortage of cranes to heavy traffic flows.
Read More